Lexington clothing company to hire 100 as result of $20M investment

Revolution Growth, an investment company owned by Steve Case, who co-founded America Online, is leading a $20 million investment into Lolly Wolly Doodle, a children’s clothing manufacturer that started about five years ago in Lexington.

The investment will allow Lolly Wolly Doodle to hire 100 more operations and manufacturing workers across North Carolina, company officials announced Thursday. LWD will also “significantly add” to its technology and marketing team in New York City, officials said.

Lolly Wolly Doodle was created in 2008 by Brandi Tysinger of Lexington. Temple started LWD in her home as an Ebay store creating cute, affordable clothing for kids.

In 2010, after discovering great demand for the clothing she produced, Tysinger began marketing on Facebook. LWD took off by listing 10 to 15 style per day on their Facebook page, which had garnered more than 500,000 fans by 2013.

LWD currently employs about 170 workers — 160 of them at a manufacturing facility in Lexington.

In a Skype interview on Thursday, Tysinger told FOX8 she is committed to bringing as many jobs as possible back to Davidson County.

She’s also dedicated to using almost 100 percent fabrics made in the U.S.

In a conference call Thursday, Case pointed out how Lexington used to be a textile capital.

“A lot of jobs and businesses in manufacturing went overseas,” Case said. “What Brandi and Lolly are doing is bringing jobs back to the United States and creating jobs in places like Lexington, which expects to hire 100 or more people.”

Tysinger couldn’t say exactly where the new building will be because they are in the final stages of the contract, but she did say it’s within a mile of the current location.

“The building we’re in now will turn into just the cut and sew operation instead of having to house the warehouse there as well,” Tysinger said.

Case could not divulge exactly how much revenue LWD is generating, but he did say Revolution Growth does not invest in companies who don’t have at least $10 million in revenue.

With 583,000 fans, LWD does 60 percent of sales on Facebook. Case calls it “social shopping” and refers to her idea as revolutionary. Buyers simply comment on pictures of products they want, leaving an email and size information.

Brenda Moore will never forget the day she was hired at LWD on the spot.

“March 14 of 2012,” she said. “It was the best move I ever made in my life.”

Moore worked as a temp for more than two years at a company that shut down and left her without a job.

Now she’s moved up the ranks and is a Trainer at LWD’s Lexington operation on Piedmont Drive.

“There is good God-fearing people out there to give people a chance,” an emotional Moore said.

Anyone interested in applying for jobs at Lolly Wolly Doodle can stop by their Lexington location at 1120 Piedmont Drive and fill out an application or call (336) 238-5002. You can learn more about LWD by visiting their website or Facebook page.

The company will be hiring 100 people over the next year and are in great need of talented seamstresses.